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I LOVE Connie Willis, so it's with a super, super heavy heart that I say: not great. This novel feels like something she wrote years ago, didn't publish, and then returned to and polished up to fulfill some kind of publishing contract. Crosstalk is more-or-less Connie Willis' version of chick-lit, which is painful. It lacks at almost every turn the depth and scholarship she for which she is distinguished. Briddey Flannigan lacks the wit, agency, and drive I come to associate with a Connie Willis protagonist. Throughout the arc as Briddey navigates the implant in her head, psychic connection with her cartoonishly bad boyfriend, and cartoonishly "good" new (eventual, obviously soon-to-be) boyfriend, I waited for her to show the interesting internal understanding of a Kivrin Engle, the wit of Ned Henry, the tenacity of a Colin Templer, or the spunk of a Polly Churchill (or the feistiness of Binnie Hodbin). But no. Characters remain mostly 2-dimensional, and in general I felt almost as if I was reading another writer's work, which made me question whether I really like her other books as much as I think I do.

Also, I live with a 9-yo child. In no world does the character Maeve resemble a child of that age, and from the first moment that child speaks I was thrown out of believing the world Willis wanted to place me in.

Caveat emptor: Connie Willis is my favorite author and has been for well over a decade. If you’re not as huge of a fan, temper my review according to your own tastes.

Also: be aware, this is slightly different in genre from most of C.W.'s large-scale novels. If you expect The Doomsday Book, you will be confused/disappointed. If you're open to other sides of C.W.'s writing, you'll do fine. A lot of C.W. is not like The Doomsday Book but a lot of her other styles/genres/whatever are less visible (short stories, for example). I enjoyed reading a large-scale novel that reflected a different side of C.W.'s oeuvre, especially after the very intense Blackout/All Clear duo.

Crosstalk is a combination of so many of the elements that are crucial to a good Connie Willis story. To name a few, we have a screwball romance (in the vein of “Christmas Letter,” for example, or Bellwether), characters wrestling with the question of whether the supernatural can exist in the real world (like Inside Job), C.W.’s own scrupulous research and profound knowledge of literature, and, of particular importance here, a world drowning in flawed communication (though again, this is a common theme in C.W.’s writing). In this case, issues related to communication form the core of the work, and even more than C.W.’s other books, this one poses some very relevant questions about communication in general and in the contemporary world in particular.

There is no time travel and the book does not really belong to a pre-existing C.W. universe. It’s a stand-alone, much like Passage, and frankly I think the two have a lot in common. The heroines are both smart and relentless, thoroughly likable (unless you simply don’t like C.W.’s women, in which case I wonder why you’re reading this review). Passage is a very heavy read, though, and Crosstalk is a lot more fun—though it definitely has its moments of despair and sadness. Incidentally, there are also references to material from Passage in Crosstalk…

I can understand why some reviewers see this as an elongated version of C.W.’s short stories, and given that P.O.V. it’s probably natural to wonder if this couldn’t have been a short story instead of a lengthy novel. I, however, did not find the book to be an overgrown short story. To my mind, this is a very fully developed book and would have suffered had it been reduced to something smaller in scale. The length allows C.W. to explore the nuances of her themes and to imbue the entire story line with a greater sense of importance and suspense. A short story or novella would not have allowed for all the commentary on social media and contemporary communication that was really the meat of the book, the work’s raison d’être. I also think the plot had enough twists and turns (none of which was unnecessary), and there was enough character development (again, necessary), that a dramatically shorter version wouldn’t have worked. Sure, the romance seems straightforward fairly early in the book—but things in no way move smoothly, and even if you are willing to accept that there are going to be a lot of challenges and mix-ups before things work out in that department, C.W. throws in some very, very serious monkey wrenches and several times I simply had to let go of all of my preconceived notions about the plot.

So, to summarize, I think this book takes what is best and most fun in a lot of C.W. stories, novellas, and yes, novels (not just Passage, but also To Say Nothing of the Dog), focuses these strengths into a very clever social critique that maintains C.W.’s witty humor and ability to create a real page-turner. There’s so much going on in this book—in terms of events, yes, but also in terms of language and the subtle dropping of hints regarding crucial plot points and themes—that I want to read it again to see what more I can learn. Ultimately, what we have is a completely delightful and enjoyable stand-alone novel. Oh, and the romance? Plenty of Shakespeare-style confusion with a dash of the best of Jane Austen. If you don’t know C.W.’s work, her ability to draw on other authors like this isn’t unusual—I was just delighted to find myself reading along and thinking things like: “No! Don’t do that! He’s Mr. Darcy!”

C.W. is smart and funny; she writes gorgeously; and her work isn’t just enormously entertaining—it’s also thought-provoking.

I loved this book. And I finished it in about three days, despite reading it only at night. I don’t know if that sounds slow or fast, but it’s kind of record time for me.

I have no idea how I am going to cope with picking a book to read next. Isn’t it always that way after you finish the good ones?

I’m a huge Connie Willis fan. There’s no arguing Willis knows her genre as one of the most award winning Sci-Fi authors out there (Nebula, Hugo, etc.) I’m particularly fond of her time-travel adventures. I can’t imagine anyone who does it better with books that are chocked full of fascinating history (i.e Doomsday Book, To Say Nothing of the Dog, Blackout, etc.)—my mind is boggled by the extensive research she must have done to prepare to tackle some of these subjects (The Black Plague, Victorian England, The Blitz!). But she knows how it’s done.

Clearly this latest, Crosstalk, took some in-depth research to understand the concepts and history behind the science and myth that propels this tale of a near future where a small implant in our brains can ramp up the emotional ties between two people. But Ms. Willis is creating a future, not tweaking a past, and sometimes that works and sometimes...it still works, but it puts her readers to the test, as she does this time around.

Our heroine, Briddey, is persuaded by what she thinks is love to receive a surgical implant that will enhance her empathetic connection to her co-worker and (hopefully) soon-to-be fiancé, Trent. But there’s more going on with Trent’s proposal than she realizes and she soon discovers why the company geek, C.B., tried so hard to persuade her from having the procedure done. Briddey finds herself connected to a whole lot more than Trent’s emotions, but she’s also finding out who really cares about her, and what real love truly means.

Great concept, right? But throw in the MOST annoying family and co-workers, mix with more guessing and second guessing and interrupting just when a character is about to reveal vital info (MULTIPLE times!), and stir it all together with far more words than are necessary and you have a recipe to stress and challenge even the most ardent Connie Willis fan. But I persevered! And I was glad to finally reach the end and a satisfying conclusion, if not also one constantly interrupted by another family member! (I get it...maybe all this confusion is designed to make us feel some of what Briddey feels, but still...).

So here's my advice about this book. If you love Connie Willis read it-you gotta, it’s part of the package of being a fan. If you love Sci-Fi in general, you might love this. We’re not talking Classic Sci-Fi here (Dune, War of the Worlds, 1984), it’s a future that’s right around the corner...but contemporary references probably will date this book in an equally not too distant future. If you love characters-and relationships-worth rooting for, this fits the bill too. But if you don’t have patience with a little more of the written word than really is necessary and endless rehashing of facts and science...maybe you should start with Doomsday Book.